


A.L.I.V.E

by KirishimasQuirk



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: 13 reasons why, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Drug Use, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gay Sex, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, IGNORE THAT DEPRESSING WONTY DANCE IN EPISODE 9, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Making Out, Male Homosexuality, Marijuana, Masturbation, NOW WE'LL HAVE A HAPPY WONTY DANCE WHERE THEY BOTH R ALIVE, Past Rape/Non-con, Public Display of Affection, Questioning, Self-Acceptance, Sexuality Crisis, Sleepy Cuddles, Zalex, badass monty, how we all wanted season 4 to happen, justice for monty, monty deserved better, monty is alive, season 4, season 4 rewritten, winston and monty deserve happiness, winston doesn't take no shit, wonty - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:09:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24601372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirishimasQuirk/pseuds/KirishimasQuirk
Summary: Montgomery de la Cruz isn't dead. Oh no. If you thought that, you're in for a wild ride. He's coming back, and he's not alone this time.orMonty is alive and him, Winston, Diego and Estela track down the real killer of Bryce Walker (with some wonty and zalex cuteness along the way bc monty deserved so much better and winston deserved to be happy at the end of the show.)
Relationships: Jessica Davis/Justin Foley, Montgomery de la Cruz/Winston Williams, Zach Dempsey/Alex Standall
Comments: 53
Kudos: 242





	1. His Death

**Author's Note:**

> HI! I'm writing this story for all of us Wonty shippers. Season 4 left me heartbroken, and I was so mad when I barely saw any fanfictions of our boys being happy together, so I'll have to take matters into my own hands.  
> SCREW THAT EXTREMELY DEPRESSING SCENE IN EPISODE 9.  
> I'M GONNA MAKE IT SO THEY'RE BOTH ALIVE TO DANCE AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME.

A/N: This story is basically me rewriting season 4 for all of us Wonty shippers, because honestly I need more. Like they belong together so here we go.

Would you believe me if I told you that Montgomery de la Cruz was still alive? Probably not, right? Well imagine my surprise.You see, shortly into the summer before my senior year, I got a call from the County jail. Imagine my face when Monty was the caller.  
"You're supposed to be dead, what the actual fuck happened?" Was the first question I asked him when I sat in front of him in the visitation room. He fuckin looked dead.  
He was covered in bruises, he looked like he hadn't slept in days, and he looked a lot skinnier than usual. But I wasn't concerned with his damn appearance, I wanna know how he wasn't dead.  
"Well, it's good to see you too." He said. I slammed my fist on the table, and he rose an eyebrow.  
"Tell me what the hell happened or I'm leaving. I heard you were dead, beaten to death, everyone fucking thinks your dead! They framed you for killing Bryce." I said.  
Monty sighed and looked at me, "well I'm not fucking dead, obviously. Did get the shit beat out of me, got stabbed a few times, but after about 200 stitches and a dozen surgeries, here I am. As for why Standall said I was dead, I have no fucking clue. He told me it was to help with the investigation, but one day he just told me 'hey Monty, guess what, you're alive now!' so here I am. Thing is, they're gonna lock me up for killing my own brother. So I need you to alibi for me." He said.  
I scoffed, "that's the only reason you called me? So I can be your fucking get out of jail free card?"  
He slammed his fist on the table this time, making all the guards, prisoners and other visitors stare.  
"Of course not, you asshole. I called you because I needed to fucking see you, but it's clear you dont wanna see me." He said.  
I sighed, "of course I wanna fucking see you! That's all I've wanted ever since you died! I was a fucking mess, so excuse me I'm not so fucking happy to see you because I've done nothing the past few months except mourn YOU, but you've been here the whole time. All the dreams I had where you fucking came to me and tried to give me some god damned closure."  
Monty sighed, "I'm sorry okay? I couldn't tell anyone until I got the ok. That fucking Deputy saved my life, I needed to repay him somehow. Look, I just need you to tell them I was with you that weekend, I'll figure out the rest. Fucking public attorney's a shitshow." He muttered the last sentence under his breath.  
"I'll take care of the fucking attorney as long as you promise to get your shit together. I'm serious, okay, I'm going to Liberty now, and when you come back I'm gonna make damn sure you're on your best behavior." I said.  
Monty rolled his eyes, why did I fucking care so much about him? I didn’t know, but I was gonna make sure he didn’t detonate.  
“You aren’t paying for my fucking attorney. I get it, you’re rich, but-” he said.  
“Shut the fuck up, okay? I don’t have to pay anything. I’ll get someone pro bono. The question is, when you get out, which I’ll take care of, where are you gonna go?” I asked.  
Monty sighed, “I guess I’m going back to my dad’s. Honestly after I got the shit beat out of me, my dad won’t even compare.” He chuckled.  
I sighed and crossed my arms. These prisoners were staring at my Rolex like they were in the hunger games. Ideally, I would love to just invite Monty to come live with me, but I was still processing that he was alive.  
“Don’t worry about me, okay? I don’t want you to go out of your way for me. I just need you to prove we were together during Bryce’s murder. After that, you can just leave me here.” Monty said. I looked up at him and squinted.  
“Shut the hell up. I’ll come see you in a few days with information.” I said and stood up. Monty moved in his seat, the sounds of chains swinging like he was a fucking rabid animal.  
“Winston, you can’t tell anyone I’m alive, okay? Not until I get the hell out of here.” He said. I sighed and nodded. The buzzer sounded and I walked out of the room. I let out a breath that I didn’t even know I was holding in. My Monty wasn’t dead, and I had nobody to tell. I probably looked fucking crazy with the big smile on my face as I walked out of the prison, but I didn’t care.  
Now I had to fulfill my promise to Monty and find him a lawyer, and I knew just where to start.  
“Mom! Are you home?” I called out. Her car was in the driveway but she usually takes rentals on trips.  
“Yes, Winston, I’m in my office.” She called out.  
I walked up the steps and into my mother’s office before sitting in front of her.  
“Mom, you take pro bono cases, right?” I asked. My mom arched an eyebrow.  
“Well, we’re required to take two pro bono cases per year, but I’ve already-” she started. I cut her off.  
“Please, I just need you to help my friend, okay? He’s being accused of murdering someone but I have proof that he was with me that night. He’s also in there for raping a boy.” I said.  
My mom sighed and shut her laptop.  
“You’re friends with a rapist?” She asked.  
I clenched my fists at my sides, “look mom, okay, he’s different around me. He has some anger issues, and he gets beat at home. Monty isn’t a bad person, he’s just a troubled kid.” I explained.  
My mom sighed and took out her notepad.  
“Fine. But only because I feel bad that I haven’t been around much lately. So what’s his name?” She asked.  
I smiled, “thank you so much, mom. His name is Montgomery de la Cruz.”  
-  
MONTY’S POV  
After I got beat up in jail, a guard escorted me everywhere I went. I had a meeting with my lawyer today, and Winston told me she agreed to take me on for free. I don’t know what I’d do without that kid. I’d probably be spending the rest of my life in here convicted of a crime I didn’t do.  
“De la Cruz, your lawyer is here.” Officer Bowlcut said. I rolled my eyes as he cuffed me and then followed him to the visitation room.  
“Hi, Mr. de la Cruz, my name is Maggie. It’s great to meet you.” The woman was middle aged, and for some reason she looked oddly familiar.  
“Hey.” I said. I didn’t mean to come off as an asshole, but I wasn’t exactly one for small talk.  
“Well, I have your case file right here. Says you were found guilty of molesting a boy named Tyler Down and murdering Bryce Walker.” She said.  
I slammed my fists on the table, making her jump.  
“I didn’t fucking kill Bryce, okay? He was my best friend. A group of assholes just blamed me because they thought I was dead.” I said.  
She nodded and wrote something down in her file.  
“Well, the good news is that I hear you have someone who can alibi you for the weekend of Bryce’s murder.” She said.  
My heart dropped into my stomach. If anyone aside from this lady was listening to this conversation I would fucking kill them, but I have to be completely honest with her. It’s the only way I can get out of here.  
“Yeah. I was with Winston Williams.” I said. The lawyer looked almost irritated, but I didn’t care. Besides it was probably nothing.  
“Okay, and we already got Winston’s testimony, why don’t you read it over and make sure everything is correct.” She slid a piece of paper over to me.  
_I, Winston Williams, can confirm that the accused Montgomery de la Cruz is not guilty of murdering Bryce Walker. I am signing this official alibi agreement because I was with Montgomery the weekend of the murder. I have here attached multiple images with timestamps and dates already on the photos, there is no way they could be edited. Montgomery de la Cruz was with me from about 9pm on that Friday, to 7pm on Sunday. Bryce Walker was murdered on Saturday, which is when all of these images were taken._ At least he didn’t go into detail as to why I was with him in the first place.  
“Yeah. That’s true.” I said. She nodded and then passed over a portfolio.  
“Inside are the photos Mr. Williams supplied, I just need you to confirm that they are you, and then I need you to sign the alibi agreement.” She said.  
I was unhooked from the cuffs and then opened the portfolio. Polaroid photos fell out and I grabbed the first one I saw. I smiled, it was a picture of me and Winston, but I was mid block. He was smiling like an idiot while I was trying to cover my face. Ultimately I failed and you could still tell it was me.  
"Yeah. Yeah that's me." I said, signing the paper.  
"Okay, now that that's out of the way, tell me about Tyler Down."  
-  
ALEX'S POV  
I was in the middle of the stairs when I heard my dad's voice.  
"de la Cruz. He’s still alive. Looks like he’s trying to get out. Maggie Williams has taken his case on, pro bono. Apparently her son, Winston, is Montgomery’s alibi.” He said. Before I could even process what I just heard, I heard Sheriff Diaz.  
“So, the Walker case is opening up again, huh.” He said.  
My dad let out an affirmative grunt, “yes. Montgomery has clear evidence he didn’t do it, which means this case is far from closed.”  
I dialed Clay immediately and ran down the other flights of steps and outside. Thirty minutes later, myself, Clay, Ani, Jess, Zach, Justin, Tony, Tyler and Charlie were all crowding around a small table at Monet’s.  
“So Monty isn’t dead? But that doesn’t make sense, your dad confirmed it.” Tyler said, his voice sounding panicked.  
“My dad’s a fucking liar.” I said, slamming my mug on the table. Senior year started in two weeks, and if Monty was going back to Liberty, I’d be walking around with another target on my back.  
Ani sighed and sipped her coffee, “I worried something like this might happen.” She muttered.  
We all turned and looked at her, “what do you mean?” We all asked.  
She put her mug down. “Think about it. None of you ever considered the possibility that Monty could still be alive? They didn’t even have a funeral for him. Think about everyone we know that has passed. Hannah, Bryce, they both had funerals. They were on the news, in the paper! Aside from Alex’s dad saying he was dead, there was no other proof.” She said.  
We all were at a loss for words. The plan we thought would be executed perfectly was blowing up in our faces.  
“So can someone tell me who Winston Williams is?” Justin asked.  
Ani and Clay shared a look before Clay opened his mouth, “Winston went to Hillcrest with Bryce. Bryce dragged Monty to a party thrown by some Hillcrest kid. Long story short, Winston and Monty hooked up.”  
No fucking way. Was Winston that guy that Monty beat the shit out of that night? That didn’t make any sense.  
“I know who he is.” I said. Everyone looked at me.  
“Yeah, we know you were there. You were buying juice from Bryce.” Ani said. Zach shot a glare at me, and I sighed.  
“So Monty was- is gay?” Tyler asked.  
Ani shrugged and Clay nodded.  
All I knew was we needed to prepare for Monty’s return.


	2. His Alibi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Monty's trial, with Winston, his mom, Monty's dad, Estela and Monty all in one courtroom, it's bound to get intense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR POSITIVE FEEDBACK! I was so worried I'd get hate for writing about Monty, but it's all of your support that motivated me to keep writing!

-  
CLAY’S POV  
-  
After everybody left Monet’s, I stayed back with Tyler. He looked like he was in his own world.  
“Hey Ty. How’re you taking all this?” I asked. Tyler looked up at me.  
“I mean, it wasn’t like I was glad he died. Before he died I just hoped he wouldn’t he wouldn’t be let out before we graduated. I don’t want to see him, Clay.” Tyler said.  
I sighed. I knew Tyler was afraid. You could see it in his eyes.   
“Tyler, we aren’t going to let him hurt you again. I promise.” I said. Tyler nodded. I was personally shaking in my boots, because if Monty was released, there was no doubt in my mind that he would be out for revenge for Bryce. Not only did we need to protect Tyler, but we also needed to protect Alex. Deputy Standall probably knew Alex was the one who killed Bryce, that’s why he closed the investigation so quickly.   
He didn’t know Monty had an alibi. None of us did, except for Ani.   
“Don’t worry, Tyler. We’ve got your back. When Monty comes back, he won’t have anyone.”   
-  
WINSTON’S POV  
-  
“How does the accused plead in the case of the murder of Bryce Walker?” The judge asked. I was sitting in the courtroom, watching Monty and my mother on one side of the courtroom.  
“The accused pleads not guilty, your honor. Mr. de la Cruz has an alibi that can prove he was not anywhere near Bryce Walker the night of his murder.” My mom said. I don’t think Monty knew she was my mom. My mom was very strict when it came to her job, and she never told her clients anything other than details regarding the case.  
“Okay, and we’ll call the alibi to the stand. Mr. Williams?” The judge said. I stood up and walked to the stand. Monty quickly made eye contact, but broke it. His father was in the crowd, and so was his sister. He had the look of pure fear in his eyes, and only his father could make Monty look so visibly afraid. Since I was under oath, I would have to be completely honest about what the relationship between Monty and myself was, and he knew that.   
“Mr. Williams, let’s start off with the basics. Were you with Mr. de la Cruz on the weekend of September 6th?” The judge asked.  
“Yes, your honor. I was.” I responded. I saw Monty’s father ball his fists at his sides, and I was nervous to see his reaction when we got into the real questions.   
“And where primarily were you at?” He asked.  
I cleared my throat and ran my fingers through my hair.  
“We were at my house all weekend. We went out once to get food, but that was all.” I said.  
The judge flipped over a page in his file.  
“What is your relationship with Mr. de la Cruz?” He asked.  
This was the question that Monty was dreading. I wished I could’ve helped him, but I couldn’t lie on the stand. That was one thing having two lawyers as parents taught me.  
“Uh, we’re friends.” I said. I wasn’t going to go into details that weren’t necessary. Besides, we were friends. Unless he specifically asked me about anything, I wasn’t going to do anything to hurt Monty.  
The judge wrote something down, “and you have photo evidence that states you two were together at your house just minutes before Bryce’s death?” He asked.  
I nodded and my mother gave a portfolio to him.   
As he looked through the photos, he picked one up and stared at it. I put my face in my palms. That was the photo I had lost that I couldn’t find anywhere.   
It was a picture of Monty lying on my bed, sleeping. He had nothing covering him aside from my red sheets covering his dick.   
“Mr. Williams, were you ever sexually intimate with Mr. de la Cruz?” He asked.  
Monty’s head shot down and he looked like he had just gotten slapped. I could practically feel Monty’s dad’s glare on me.   
"Objection! Relevance?" My mother asked, sensing my discomfort as well as Monty's.  
"This information is necessary for Mr. de la Cruz's second offense." The judge said.   
Monty's second offense. Him sexually assaulting Tyler.   
"I find Montgomery de la Cruz innocent in the murder of Bryce Walker seeing his reliable alibi. Mr. Williams, I'd like to ask you a few questions, so please stay while I get his plea." He cleared his voice, "in the matter of sexually assaulting Tyler Down, how do you plead, Mr. de la Cruz?"  
Monty stood up, the chains he was attached to rattling.   
"I'm guilty." He said.  
I smiled slightly at him. I was proud of him. My mother stood up next.  
"Your honor, my client is recommended to attend anger management courses and therapy if released, as well as 200 hours of community service. My client is aware of what he has done, and has shown sympathy and regret. Please keep this in mind before saying the verdict." She said.   
The judge turned back to me, "before sentencing, I have a few questions for Mr. Williams. Let me begin by getting one thing clear. Have you ever been sexually active with Montgomery de la Cruz?" He asked.  
Monty shut his eyes and his father's face was so red it looked like he might pop.  
"Yes." I said. Monty looked like he wanted to curl into a ball and die, while his father stood up.  
"Usted maricón! Eres una desgracia para esta familia!" He shouted in Spanish. Monty looked like he might cry, but he held back. Monty's sister stood up and pulled her father back down.  
"¡Cállate, padre! Y no hables de mi hermano de esa manera." She said. The guards walked over to his father and whispered something to him that made him shut up.  
"Winston, has Montgomery ever been forceful during intercourse? Has he ever pressured you into doing something you didn't want to do?" He asked.  
I was about to go off on the defensive, but I know he was just following protocol.  
Monty however was looking unsure, almost like he didn't know the answer himself.  
I spoke my answer loudly and clearly, "no, your honor."  
The judge nodded and turned to me, "thank you, Winston. Is there anything else you'd like to state on the record?" He asked.  
"Yes actually." I stood up straight at the podium. "I haven't known Montgomery de la Cruz for long, but since I have, I've gotten to know someone who is misunderstood. Who has been raised and taught to deal with his issues using violence and anger. He doesn't know any better, your honor, and he's not going to learn if he's stuck in here. Not even a week after his arrest, he was brutally beaten by other prisoners, almost to death. How can he live his life, make mistakes and learn from them if he isn’t given the chance to? If he’s constantly in here looking over his shoulder, knowing he constantly has a target on him? What he did was awful, but if all of our lives were defined by the one thing we regret the most? Then that’s not a life worth living.”   
-  
MONTY’S POV  
-  
‘What a stupid idiot.’ I thought. Why was he trying so hard to save me? Why save me when I’m not worth saving? Even if I got out, living with my dad would be just the same as being in jail. My life has no meaning, no worth. I’d never be able to get the job I want with a record, I have no reason to go on.  
No reason aside from him.   
Aside from the idiot that for some reason refuses to give up on me. Even after I gave up on myself.   
Winston sat down and the judge stood up.  
“All rise.” He said. Everyone in the room rose up, and I was about to get the decision that makes or breaks my life.   
“I hereby sentence Montgomery de la Cruz with a revamped version of his attorney’s proposition. Weekly anger management classes followed by daily check ins with his school counselor. 250 hours of community service and on probation until further notice. Random drug testing and check ups will be required. This court is adjourned.”  
Everyone stood up, and I turned to my attorney.  
“Thank you, Maggie. Really. I couldn’t have done this with any other attorney.” I said, shaking her hand. The cuffs on me were unlocked.  
“Don’t thank me. Thank my son.” She pointed at Winston. Wow, I really am stupid. I should’ve made the connection sooner.   
Why was he doing all this for me? He’s lucky I don’t beat his ass again when we get out of here. For now, I had to go home with my father. He looked at me and shook his head in disgust. Estela’s eyes were filled with love and pride. It’s why she lives with my mom and I live with my dad. Estela shouldn’t be around someone like me. She’s too kind for that. So is my mom.   
On my way to Winston, my dad stepped in front of me first. I braced myself for what was about to come.  
“¿Vas a hablar con tu novio maricón?” He asked. I glared at him.  
“Jódete papá. No te tengo miedo.” I muttered. Estela came to stand in between us and turned to me.  
“Monty, I’ve spoken to mama. She wants you to live with us until you graduate, okay?” She said.   
My eyes widened. I assumed my mother hated me. She made no contact with me since the divorce, and I was about to argue, but Estela’s eyes were practically begging me.  
“¿Eh? ¿Ahora esa puta quiere ser parte de su vida? De ninguna manera. Este maricón enfrentará mi castigo, como siempre lo ha hecho.” He said. My sister turned and shot daggers at him.  
“Ya lo has convertido en un monstruo, ¿qué más quieres de él? Él vendrá con nosotros, a menos que quieras volver a esta corte por abuso infantil.” Estela threatened. Their arguing continued as I managed to find Winston. He was sitting on the chair, doing something with his watch.   
“Let me guess. 50,000?” I said. He looked up at me, smiling.  
He chuckled lightly, “close. 30,000.” I sat down next to him and sighed. This all felt so unreal. Just a few weeks ago, I was barely alive in the infirmary, and now I was free.   
Well, as free as I can get. And it was all thanks to him.  
“Why?” I asked him. He rose an eyebrow and tilted his head in confusion, “why did you help me? Why would you even want to be associated with me?”   
He smiled, “I don’t know, Monty. You beat the shit out of me, why did I spend an entire weekend with you? There’s something interesting about you. I want to figure you out. I want to get to know you. The real Monty. Not the asshole, not the jock, not the monster everyone thinks you are.” He said.   
Dammit, if I wasn’t so scared I’d kiss him.   
“Seems like your sister’s giving your dad a piece of her mind.” He said. I looked up and saw Estela yelling at my dad in Spanish. I snorted.  
“Yeah, Stela’s a bit of a spitfire. She’s got way more balls than me when it comes to our dad. Maybe because he doesn’t beat on her. I’d fucking kill him if he laid a finger on her.” I said.  
Winston jabbed me in the side, “don’t say that shit in a fucking courtroom.” He said. We both laughed, and for once I felt happy. I knew all that would change when I went back to school, because I was gonna find the motherfuckers that framed me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these first few chapters are a bit boring, I just have to build up the plot before we can get into the real SHTICK.  
> (TRANSLATIONS: brought to you by Google Translate)  
> "Usted maricón! Eres una desgracia para esta familia!" (You faggot! You're a disgrace to this family!)  
> "¡Cállate, padre! Y no hables de mi hermano de esa manera." (Shut up, father! And don't talk about my brother that way.)  
> “¿Vas a hablar con tu novio maricón?” (Are you going to talk to your faggot boyfriend?)  
> “Jódete papá. No te tengo miedo.” (Fuck you, dad. I'm not afraid of you.)  
> “¿Eh? ¿Ahora esa puta quiere ser parte de su vida? De ninguna manera. Este maricón enfrentará mi castigo, como siempre lo ha hecho.” (Huh? Now that whore wants to be a part of your life? No way. This faggot will face my punishment, as he always has.)  
> “Ya lo has convertido en un monstruo, ¿qué más quieres de él? Él vendrá con nosotros, a menos que quieras volver a esta corte por abuso infantil.” (You have already turned him into a monster, what more do you want from him? He will come with me, unless you want to come back to this court for child abuse. )


	3. His Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex questions his sexuality after a kiss with Zach, and Monty returns to Liberty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get some Zalex and Wonty in this chapter!   
> I'm so proud of this work and the response to it, thank you all for sticking around.

ZACH’S POV  
-  
Monty didn’t show up on the first day back. There was an assembly being held in five minutes, and where was I?  
Behind the school sipping a bottle of whiskey. It didn’t matter to me if Monty was dead or alive, if I went to jail or not, because my life was pretty much over.   
My pity party was interrupted by the backdoor opening. I didn’t care if it was a teacher.  
“What the fuck are you doing, Zach?” I looked up and saw Alex with his arms crossed, staring at me. Only he could make me feel intimidated right now, and I didn’t know why.  
“What the fuck’s it look like? I’m drinking whiskey.” I responded. Alex grabbed the bottle from my hands and poured it all out before throwing the bottle into the woods behind us.  
“Well that wasn’t very nice.” I muttered.  
Alex grabbed me by my t-shirt and pulled me down so we were eye level.  
“I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing, but I’m not gonna let you sit by and deteriorate. You helped me when I needed you, so now you bet your ass I’m gonna do the same.” He said.  
I don’t know what came over me in that instant, maybe it was the alcohol. I grabbed Alex by the back of the head and smashed our lips together. I was surprised with how little he resisted before giving in.   
After a few seconds I pulled away, and Alex looked shocked.  
“Well? Let’s go to this fucking assembly.” I said and turned to walk inside the building.  
I sat down next to Justin and Alex sat next to me.   
“Jesus, Zach, you smell like a brewery.” Justin said. I rolled my eyes and looked forward. Bolan was standing at the podium.  
“Attention students. Please quiet down. Students!” I laughed as Bolan tried to shut the kids up, but it wasn’t working. I wasn’t gonna spend all day like this, though. I stood up, wobbling a little before standing straight up.  
“Everybody shut the fuck up!” I shouted as loudly as I could. All of the students went silent and stared at me. “Thank you. Take it away Mr. B.” I said bowing before sitting down. Principal Bolan cleared his throat.  
“Well, thank you for that Mr. Dempsey. I’d like to thank you all for coming here. There is an announcement that I feel must be shared as soon as possible. Montgomery de la Cruz is still alive. Apparently there was just a miscommunication. He will be coming back to Liberty High School tomorrow. I expect you all to treat him with the same respect as your other classmates.” Bolan barely got his speech out before the football team started cheering.   
I rolled my eyes. Luke stood up and started chanting Monty, and soon half the school was as well.  
I looked over and saw Clay and Ani speaking to some guy. He was holding a camera and looked like his entire outfit was more expensive than my house. Alex was also staring.  
“You know him?” I asked. He nodded.  
“Yeah. That’s Winston, Monty’s alibi. I didn’t know he was going to Liberty this year. As if having Monty back wasn’t bad enough.”   
-  
WINSTON’S POV  
-  
Ani and Clay approached me after the assembly, and I stood my ground. Estela introduced me to Diego and some of the other football players today, and they seemed to have my back.   
“What are you doing here?” Ani asked.   
“I got expelled from Hillcrest, so I figured why not spend senior year catching up with some old friends.” I said.   
Ani got close to me, and I tried not to laugh. She was trying her hardest to be intimidating.  
“When Monty comes back, I want you to stay away from us. Got it?” She asked.  
I laughed lightly, “no way in hell. You guys tried to frame Monty for murder. We both know he won’t just take that lying down. We’re gonna find out who really killed Bryce.” I said. Ani lost her composure for a second.  
“We?” She said. I smiled.  
“Not everybody thinks of Monty as a heartless monster. I’m not the only one who will be helping him. Face it, Ani. You and your little posse don’t run the world. Your actions have consequences. Better figure out your next move.” I said before walking past her.   
I really didn’t like that girl. She thinks she can do whatever she wants and the whole world will just keep quiet. You don’t just get to fuck with people’s lives however you deem fit.   
“Hey! Winston, right?” Monty’s sister said. I smiled and she wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank you so much for helping my brother. Seriously.”   
“It’s no problem, really.” I said. This girl was the polar opposite of Monty. It makes me wonder what kind of person he would be if his father hadn’t raised him.   
“I’m just worried about him. My mom has barely spoken to him since he came to live with us, I think it’s really affecting him. I just don’t think she knows what to say. It’s been years since they’ve seen each other. I think she feels responsible for his actions.” She said. A group of sophomores rushed up to her and dragged her away. She waved at me before turning to them.  
-  
ALEX’S POV  
-  
Right now I was having an internal crisis. First of all, Zach Dempsey fucking kissed me. I don’t get it, I’m not gay. Neither is he.   
So why did I like it?   
I needed to talk to him about it. He was talking to a few jocks when I walked up to him.  
“Zach, I need to talk to you.” I said. He turned to his friends and said he’d catch up with them later before turning to me and walking into the hallway. “We need to talk about what happened outside.” I told him.   
He rolled his eyes, “look Alex, I’m like super drunk right now, so save your interrogation for later.”   
I sighed and looked at him, “Zach, you kissed me. We need to talk about this.”   
“Dude, I told you, I was drunk. I probably just thought you were someone else. Besides I’m not fucking gay.” He yawned.  
Why did that hurt for some reason? I mean, I wasn’t gay either. Right?  
“So you didn’t feel anything at all? During the kiss, I mean?” I asked.  
He scoffed, “no. Why? Did you?” He said.  
I felt my face flare with embarrassment and anger. I haven’t felt anything since I shot myself, but when Zach kissed me, it felt like a spark ignited inside of me. He sat up.  
“Oh, shit. You did? Sorry man.” He said. I could’ve died right then and there. I stood up and walked down the hallway, listening to Zach call my name out. I bumped into Jess while turning the bend.  
“Sorry. Wait, Alex? What’s wrong?” She asked. Great. I couldn’t just brush her off, she’s too persistent. Plus, I don’t think she would judge me.  
“I can’t tell you here.”  
We went outside onto the steps, and I explained to her what happened. When I finished, I waited for her to say something.  
“Wow. That’s heavy. Alex, I hope you know that none of us would think any differently of you if you were gay. That goes for Zach too. All of us would love you just the same. I can’t help you figure this out, you need to figure out for yourself. But we’ll be here to support you along the way.” She said. I smiled at her, and she wrapped an arm around me. I didn’t understand why Monty was so afraid to be gay. It didn’t really make me feel any less of a person, maybe that’s because I had such good friends to make me feel accepted.  
I didn’t want to be classified though. Gay, straight, why couldn’t I just be Alex?   
-  
The next day at school, we were all in anticipation of Monty’s return. The football guys were waiting at the entrance, so was Winston. School didn’t start for another thirty minutes, and Monty was usually late. I sat on the steps, scribbling down random answers on my homework.   
“Alex!” I looked up from my work and saw Zach rushing towards me. I quickly gathered my stuff. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with this right now. “Alex wait! Why haven’t you answered my texts?” He asked.  
I scoffed, “isn’t it obvious? You kissed me yesterday and then made me feel like shit when you said you felt nothing, but I did. Why did you even kiss me at all if you didn’t fucking feel anything? Y’know how fucked up that is?” I ranted. I got cut off by Zach kissing me once again, in front of most of the entire school. I dropped my things as he placed one hand on the side of my face.   
I definitely wasn’t expecting this, and I felt a little bit embarrassed doing this in front of everyone, but in that moment, they didn’t matter. It was just me and Zach.   
A bunch of people started cheering, and we broke apart, our foreheads resting on each other’s.   
“Now, will you calm the fuck down?” He whispered. I laughed lightly.   
“Well, I’m not sure if I can top that.” The crowd went silent as we turned to look at Montgomery de la Cruz. He was standing with Estela.   
“Monty!” Someone from the team shouted, and then suddenly he was bombarded with jocks. Winston was sitting at the edge of the steps, and I wondered why he wasn’t with Monty.   
-  
WINSTON’S POV  
-  
Monty was surrounded by jocks and cheerleaders, and I didn’t want to get in his way. Estela sat down next to me.  
“Good morning, Winston.” She smiled. I smiled back and she sighed, looking at her brother. “I mean, I get they thought he was dead, but he’s gonna be late to his classes.” She stood up and shouted, “Monty! Give them your autograph so we can go inside!”   
I laughed and Monty pushed his way through the crowd of people. He made eye contact with me and smiled weakly. I wanted to get up and kiss him right there, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t end well for me, so I settled for a wave.   
“Monty! Monty! Monty!” The jocks chanted. One of them lifted Monty up, and soon he was on top of a bunch of football player’s shoulders. They carried him up the stairs and to the doors of the school. Before he went in, I saw him turn to Alex and another guy.  
“Watch your back, Standall.”   
‘Great way to show everyone you’ve changed, Monty.’ I thought and rolled my eyes. When they got inside the school, they put him down and the Principal walked into the hallway.   
“Montgomery. It’s great to have you back. I sure do hope you’ll be reclaiming your spot on the team?” He said. Monty smiled and shook his hand.  
“Of course, principal. It’s great to be back.” He said. He genuinely looked happy.   
The principal turned to me and shook my hand, “and welcome to Liberty High School, Winston. I can’t promise you we’ll live up to Hillcrest, but I hope you’ll like it here.” He said.  
I followed him to his office where he gave me my schedule, and then the first bell rang. By the time I got into the hallway, they were basically empty.   
“Room 106.” I muttered.   
"Ah, you have that class too?" A Latino wearing a football jacket said. "I'm Diego Torres, and even though I'm not new here, I'm just as lost as you." He said. We both laughed.  
It turns out Diego isn't as much of a dick as the rest of the football players. Monty got him into playing, and he was a pretty decent guy.   
“So, how do you know Monty?” He asked. We ended up deciding to skip first period since we were already late, so we were behind the school.   
“We met at a party and then just ended up becoming friends.” It wasn’t a total lie, and even though I felt like I could trust Diego, I would never out Monty without him knowing.   
He pulled a beer out of his bag and offered it to me, but I shook my head. I wasn’t a big drinker, especially in the day. He shrugged and popped it open before drinking it.   
“I can’t fucking believe he’s alive. It’s some crazy shit, y’know?” He said.  
I nodded, “yeah. Crazy how it was just a misunderstanding. Now that he’s back, I don’t think things will be very peaceful. He’s on the hunt for Bryce’s killer.”   
“Yeah, and I’m gonna help him figure it out. It’s the least I can do for him. If he hadn’t introduced me to football, I don’t know where I would be right now. He’s a really fucking good guy. Sure, he’s done some bad shit, but he doesn’t know any better.” He sighed.  
The bell rang for second period and we headed inside. I had a study hall in the library, and I needed to get a fucking campus map. I sat at a table in the back corner and opened the folder Principal Bolan gave me. Room 106 was at the back of the damn building, and if my math was right, that gave me 10 seconds to spare before the late bell-  
“The fuck are you thinking so hard about?” Monty asked, sitting in front of me and grabbing my folder, “wow you really are a nerd.” He laughed.   
I rolled my eyes, “did you come over here just to piss me off?” He scoffed and grabbed my stuff.  
“No, actually, I came over here to ask if you wanted to sneak off somewhere with me.” He rose an eyebrow. I smirked and shrugged my shoulders.   
-  
MONTY’S POV  
-  
I pressed Winston up against the wall and kissed him. I wanted to do this ever since my trial, but people were always around. His lips parted and I slipped my tongue inside, making him moan. Jesus Christ, if this were anyone else I would’ve probably beat the shit out of them, but Winston made me feel things that nobody ever did. I wouldn’t admit it, and I probably never would, but he didn’t care. He was accepting of me, my limits.  
I lifted him up onto the air conditioner and he wrapped his legs around me, bringing us closer. I felt his arousal against mine, and kissed him deeper.   
“Oh shit, uh, sorry.” I immediately broke away and saw some random kid standing a few feet away.   
Our eyes met, and I could see the fear and surprise in his eyes before he took off, running down the hallway.  
“Fuck!” I yelled and started to chase after him.  
“Monty, wait!” Winston said. I turned to him and grabbed him by his shirt before holding him against the wall.  
“Just stay the hell away from me, got it?” I shouted before dropping him and turning around, running.  
“You know, Monty, Bryce isn’t here anymore. You don’t have to pretend to be someone else, nobody in this school cares if you’re gay.” Winston called after me. I tried to ignore his words, but they just kept ricocheting in my mind.  
I wasn’t gay. I wasn’t allowed to be. I couldn’t.   
But my life had changed so much over the past few days, I wasn’t living with my dad, I didn’t have to constantly be afraid in my own home. Bryce wasn’t alive anymore, so I didn’t feel the constant need to be like him. The football team practically worshipped me, honestly I don’t think anyone would mind.  
Except for me.  
I wasn’t raised like these other kids, like Winston. I was raised to be exactly how my father wanted me to be. A straight, popular jock who was feared.   
It was too late for me to change, the damage was already done. I could never be who I was, I just had to keep pretending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monty just needs some freakin guidance to let him know IT'S OKAY TO BE WHO YOU ARE.  
> New chapter should be out within a few days.


	4. His Solitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is paranoid about Monty, and Monty tries to make himself feel better by ignoring Winston.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cOntEnT WaRniNg: bOys KisSinG iN tHe BathRooM  
> -  
> I'm sorry, but I need some more angst, so here's this chapter.   
> ALSO DO NOT DRIVE WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL ANY DIFFERENT OR THE EFFECTS. (Winston, smh)

MONTY’S POV  
-  
Instead of chasing that kid and beating the shit out of him, I wound up in front of Dr. Singh’s office. My appointment with her wasn’t for another hour, but if I didn’t talk to someone now, I would do something I regret.

“Mr. de la Cruz, our appointment isn’t until 10am.” She said. I slammed the door and sat down in front of her desk.

“If I don’t talk to someone now, I’m probably gonna end up beating the shit out of someone.” I said.

She nodded and put her paperwork aside, “well, I suppose we could start early. What’s troubling you right now? It seems like you need to get something off your chest.” 

“I can’t tell you.” I muttered. She looked at me sympathetically.

“Monty, I promise you that anything we speak about will not leave this room. You can be honest with me, it’s my job to help you with these things.”

I took a deep breath, “aren’t we supposed to do questionnaires and shit at the first session?” I asked.

She laughed lightly, “usually yes, but I can tell you need to talk about something, so the ‘questionnaires and shit’ can wait.” She said.

I smiled weakly and took a deep breath. 

“I think I might be, y’know, not straight.” I said. If I said this to my dad, I’d be beaten to a bloody pulp, and I expected a similar reaction, but instead she nodded, like it didn’t matter.

“Okay, and what’s wrong with that?” She said. 

I scoffed, “what’s wrong with that? Everything! I’m not supposed to feel like this, I’m a fucking football player, I’m supposed to be out there fucking cheerleaders and getting drunk everynight, not making out with some guy that I can’t stop thinking about.” I vented.

She rolled her eyes, “Montgomery, did you know that nearly a quarter of the human population identify as non heterosexual? That means almost 1,900,000,000 human beings that have gone through what you're going through. Do you think if being gay was so terrible so many people would openly be it?" She asked.

I stuttered my response, she had a good point.

"Now, why do you think that being gay is so terrible?" She asked.

I sighed. "It’s not that, it’s just, I don’t- I can’t be that.” 

She crossed her arms, “and why not? Why can’t you be who you really are?” 

I stood up and ran my fingers through my hair, “because I just can’t, okay? I’m a fucking trainwreck. My whole life is fucked up, I can’t add another thing to my list of imperfections.” 

“And your sexual orientation is an imperfection? Sit down and listen to me. If my observation is correct, you’re attracted to someone of the same sex, but you’ve been raised to believe that’s wrong. Correct?” She asked. I nodded. “So you’re going to live the rest of your life living a lie? Because of what other people want? I’m sorry, but I didn’t think you of all people cared about what other people think. If you aren’t happy, what does it matter? Monty, this school is very accepting, and you have a very high status here. In my opinion, you could be a great example for people with the same mindset as you. It’s okay to be who you are. You have support. From me, from the team, from that boy you can’t stop thinking about.” She smiled.

“W-what?” I stuttered. She laughed lightly.

“I’ve been around long enough to know when one of my patients is hopelessly in love.” She said in a mocking tone. I rolled my eyes and stood up. “Before you walk out, just promise me you’ll think about what I said. It’s okay to be yourself.”   
-  
ALEX’S POV  
-  
Zach was basically talking to himself at this point, I zoned out a while back. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Monty said to me earlier. He was already suspect of me, and I was freaking the fuck out.

“Alex…. ALEX STANDALL.” Zach shouted, I looked at him and shushed him, we already made too big a scene this morning, “what the fuck are you thinking so hard about? Your head looks like it’s gonna explode.” 

“I’m thinking about what Monty said to me earlier. If he finds proof it was me, then there’s nothing my dad can do to protect us and I’ll be in jail for the rest of my life.” Zach rolled his eyes.

He's not gonna find proof because there is none. Besides, even if you ever were arrested, I'd take the blame.” He muttered the last part. 

I grabbed his cookie and threw it behind me.

“Dude, what the fuck, that cost me 79 cents.” He said. I grabbed him by his t-shirt and pulled him so he was leaning on the table.

“What makes you think I would ever let you take the blame for me?” I said. 

The next thing I knew, we were kissing. Then the next thing after that, we were in the bathroom with the door locked. 

“You’re such a pain in the ass.” Zach muttered as he took his jacket off. 

“Same goes for you.” I said. Zach lifted me up and put me on the sink before kissing me again. Man, I had forgotten what it felt like, to feel like this. To feel pure lust and arousal. The key to feeling that had been in front of me the whole time. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to give myself to Zach. He moved his mouth down to my neck and bit lightly. I moaned lightly as he found my sweet spot. His hands found my belt buckle and quickly removed it before pulling my pants down. 

He kissed me and I went to pull down his shorts. 

"Shit, wait." He said. I leaned back and arched an eyebrow in confusion. "As much as I want to continue this, I don't want our first time to be in the school bathroom." 

I laughed and nodded, "yeah. Bathroom's too good for me, huh?" I asked.

He kissed me, "quite the opposite, Standall. Let's go, the bell for 6th is about to ring."   
-  
WINSTON'S POV  
-  
I've been a Liberty High School student for one week now, and ever since Monty got caught with his tongue down my throat, we haven't spoken. It hurts, but I'm not the type of person to chase someone. I refuse to be a lovesick puppy, the ones that you read about in books and watch in movies, if he didn’t want me then I had to accept that.

The thing that did hurt was walking into the cafeteria and seeing his tongue down some cheerleader’s throat. 

“What the fuck.” I muttered to myself. Jesus, they might as well have been fucking. I refused to let this bother me. So what, we had a few moments. It clearly didn’t mean anything to him. 

“It’s gross, right? Get a fucking room.” I turned around and saw a group of goth kids sitting at a table with their feet up. “Sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Cyrus. That over there is Chad Moore, over there is Toby and next to him is Eric.” One of them said. 

“Sit down, man. We aren’t gonna bite, well, I can’t guarantee Chad wont, he thinks you’re ‘super hot’.” Cyrus said. Chad threw an apple at him and it hit him dead in his forehead. I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me.

“Okay, man, jeez, I’m sorry. Either way, sit down, new kid.” Cyrus moved his bag and moved the chair out with his boot. I shrugged and sat down.

During the period, I got to know Cyrus and his friends a little bit, and it turned out they were actually pretty cool. They lived up to the goth stereotype, but they put their own twist on it. They weren’t ashamed of it. Hanging out with them almost distracted me from the whole Monty situation.

The thing that did piss me off, though, was when a group of jocks walked past our table while calling us faggots and freaks, and the fact that Monty was among them. 

Diego yelled at them, though, which I thought was pretty nice, and Cyrus and his friends all flipped them off and laughed. I thought it was pretty badass how they didn’t care what people thought.

Before they left the cafeteria, Monty made eye contact with me before pulling that cheerleader back to him and making out with her. 

Real subtle.

The bell rang for seventh period, but I honestly just wanted to get out of there. I sat on the staircase and pulled out some gummy worm edibles I got from some dude at Hillcrest. I was so fucking over it, maybe I should’ve just went to another private school. I chewed a gummy worm and swallowed it before putting the bag away. I was pretty heavyweight, it took a lot of drinks to get me drunk, and it took a lot of hits to get me high, so one edible would just take the edge off for me. 

I felt so out of place here. I didn’t fit in with Cyrus, Clay’s group of friends hated me, Monty hated me which meant the jocks hated me, and I was beginning to feel just like I felt at Hillcrest. I was always a loner. Everyone at that school was your typical rich snob, while I preferred getting a good education over buying the new Chanel handbag.   
A few minutes later, the effects started to kick in. I still had my mentality intact, but I just felt a little lighter. Then the football players came out. 

“No, man. I’m telling you, she was practically begging for it.” I heard one of them say. I took my Airpods out and popped one in, praying that they would just leave me alone, because right now I had no filter, and I was pissed off.

“Aw, look, it’s the rich kid. Fucker’s outfit costs more than Monty’s bail.” They all started laughing. I was about to go off on how that joke didn’t even make sense because Monty wasn’t even up for bail, and without my help he’d still be rotting away, but it wouldn’t be fucking worth it, and I’d probably get beat the hell up for being a smartass, but I couldn’t help the scoff I made. 

“Fuck off, Beecher. Leave him alone, don’t you got anything better to do?” Diego said, walking the rest of the way down the staircase. “Hey, Winston! Sorry about that.” He threw a beer up at me and I grabbed it.

“Let’s go guys!” He said, turning around and walking away. I noticed Monty was at the back of the line, and the guys were going their separate ways. 

I tossed the beer into the grass. 

“Bryce is dead, Monty.” I said. 

He stopped walking and turned around, “um, of course he is. What’s your point, asshole?” He spat.

I turned my phone off and crossed my arms over my legs.

“So if Bryce is dead, and your dad is no longer in your life, why are you still trying to fit their expectations?” I said. He laughed lightly before walking up the steps.

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, rich boy. I’m not living up to anyone’s expectations.” He said.

I scoffed, “really? Then why are you pretending to be something you’re not?” 

Monty squatted down so our eyes met, “you don’t know anything about who I am, you piece of shit.” He said.

“Really? I know that you usually always get hard when you kiss me, but when you had that cheerleader all over you earlier, you couldn’t even get your dick to twitch, but when you looked at me before you kissed her in the cafeteria, you did get turned on, because you were picturing me instead.” I said, and I knew it was all true. Being a loner made me get extremely good at reading people. I saw it in Monty’s eyes when he looked at me, like he was taking a mental picture, and the look in his eyes right now was defeat. I got him.

“Fuck you, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said, shaking his head. 

I rolled my eyes and stood up before grabbing my bag.

“I’m not gonna argue with you, Monty. I don’t understand you. I don’t know why the hell I even care about you with how shitty you treat me, maybe I hope there’s a part of you that actually cared for me, but I think you care about how other people think of you more than anything else in this world. Even more than your own happiness, and I can’t help you with that. Until you learn to accept yourself, you’ll never be happy, Montgomery de la Cruz, and for that, I pity you.”

I swung my bag over my shoulder as the final bell rang, and then headed towards the parking lot. I had enough money to afford five Lamborghinis with butterfly doors, but I was perfectly fine with my old Mustang from 1994. I popped the top off before throwing my bag in the backseat. 

“Hey dude, sweet ride.” I recognized that guy, he was the one talking to Alex Standall on the first day of school, Zach Dempsey.

“Thanks, man.” I said and started the car. 

“That’s a classic, right? That model looks like a 94.” He said. I nodded.

“Shit, I hate to cut this short, but the ride home is gonna be like 45 minutes at this time. I’ll catch you later.” I said. We waved and I backed out of the lot.   
-  
MONTY’S POV  
-  
 _“And for that, I pity you.”_

Winston’s words repeated over and over again in my mind. That damn smartass was the only person in this world that could leave me without a smartass comeback. I found myself staring in the parking lot at Alex and Zach. Zach’s arm was wrapped around Standall’s shoulders like it was perfectly fine. I didn’t understand it. Winston could read me like a damn book.

“Brother.” I saw Estela walk outside and right past me.

“What’s up with you?” I asked. She turned around and glared at me.

“I’m trying to resist the urge to beat the shit out of you, Montgomery. What the fuck was that shit in the cafeteria? Do you even know that girl's name?" She said. I rolled my eyes. I was so sick of people telling me how I was supposed to deal with my shit.

"Jesus Christ, why the hell does it matter?" I rolled my eyes. Estela grabbed me by my jacket, she certainly was stronger than she looked. 

"It matters because I know you. Better than you know yourself. I know that you care about Winston, but you're too afraid to admit it to yourself. Well guess what, brother. Until you do admit it to yourself, you're on your own. I'm not gonna stand with you while you treat the only good thing in your life like shit." She released her grip and turned to walk down the steps. 

_You'll never be happy, and for that I pity you._

_Until you accept yourself, you'll never be happy, and for that I pity you._

_You're on your own. I'm not gonna stand with you while you treat the only good thing in your life like shit._

I knew where I needed to go, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how Winston don't put up with that shit from Monty.   
> New chapter out SoOoOooOn


	5. His Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the lockdown, Monty and Winston reconcile and Monty's true feelings are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple more chapters left booooiiiiis

MONTY'S POV  
-  
"Hey brother." I sat down in front of his tombstone.  
Here lies Bryce Walker.  
I scoffed, "bet you didn't expect this, huh. I'm fucking stuck, man. I've tried so hard to live up to you, to continue your legacy, but I don't think I can. Christ, he's the only person in the world that makes me feel human. I need him, but I'm scared shitless." I sighed.  
I heard someone scoff I turned around and saw Bryce leaning against another tombstone.  
Great, now I was going crazy and seeing dead people.  
The ghost of Bryce sat down next to me, "dude. The only person making you feel that way is you. You are what's holding you back. I'm telling you, you have my blessing. Nobody else gives a shit if you fuck guys or girls, and if they do then that's their problem. I know everyone sees me as some fucking villain, but I just want to see my brothers happy. Zach and Standall, Foley and Jess, and especially you. You've been through enough shit in your life, let yourself be happy, man. I'll love you no matter what."  
The next time I blinked, I was alone again. My eyes watered and I quickly wiped them.  
I stood up and looked down at the grave.  
"Thank you, brother." I whispered before turning around and walking away.  
-  
WINSTON’S POV  
-  
I slammed my bedroom door shut when I arrived home. My parents left yet again for a trip without even telling me. I sighed and changed into a t-shirt and pants before flopping into my bed.  
Normally right about now, I would jack off, but the only thing that gets me going is thinking of Monty, and that’s the last thing I want to do right now. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help my thoughts from wandering back to that weekend.  
The weekend after Homecoming.  
_“Shit, that feels so fucking good.” Monty moaned as I took his cock down my throat. He thrusted harshly, and I was glad I didn’t have a gag reflex. He tugged on my hair, making me moan around his member, and his dick twitched in response.  
I pulled off of him and pulled my pants and underwear down.  
“Where’s your lube?” He asked. I pointed to the bedside table, and he opened the first drawer. In my drawer I had a few boxes of condoms, a few tubes of lube, and a few toys. He smirked and pulled out a small jar of lube. He slipped the condom on before jerking his dick with some lube, and then I felt his tip press against my hole.  
We both moaned as he slid inside me. He thrusted slowly, pulling out inch by inch before burying himself back inside me.  
“Jesus Christ.” I moaned. I could practically see his smirk.  
“You feel so fucking hot.” He moaned, his breath ghosting over my ear. He sped up with his thrusts, and soon we were both chasing our release. “Fuck, I’m gonna cum.” He pushed deep inside of me one last time, and I felt him press right against my prostate, his dick twitching as he came in his condom. I moaned as my dick spurted it’s own release, and he fell beside me. _  
-  
Before I knew it, I was cumming. Hard. I wanted to kick my own ass. Don’t think about him my ass. He was all I could think about. He was the best I ever had, and probably the best I’ll ever have. Even though he didn’t know what he was doing, he was naturally dominant, and he wasn’t afraid to go after what he wanted.  
I cleaned my sheets up and then went into the bathroom. After taking a cold shower, I laid back down in bed before shutting my eyes and dozing to sleep, praying that one day I could finally forget about Montgomery de la Cruz.  
It was Friday the next day, and I planned on drinking my weekend away. I was acting like some heartbroken teenage girl, but I deserved to get blasted. Liberty High was a total shitshow, and I found myself researching other private schools nearby.  
I enjoyed the ride to school, blaring my music and feeling the wind on my face always calmed me down. I lit a cigarette and felt the burn in my lungs, I wanted nothing more than to just keep driving, but my mom would never let me hear the end of it if I skipped a day.  
The first few periods went by smoothly. It was when fifth period came that everything went to shit.  
“This is a code red, I repeat, code red.” I heard over the loudspeaker. If this school had the same code as Hillcrest, code red meant there was an active shooter in the building.  
“Shit.” I mumbled to myself before going into an empty classroom. I started barricading the door when I heard someone clear their voice. I turned and saw Monty sitting on the air conditioner.  
‘You have got to be shitting me. I have to spend a lockdown with HIM?’ I thought.  
“If you don’t wanna die, let me barricade the door. Your arms are practically noodles.” He said. I rolled my eyes and sat on one of the tables while Monty lifted a file cabinet up and pressed it against the door. If I wasn’t so pissed at him, I might’ve been impressed by his strength. I put my headset on and prayed that this thing would end soon.  
After a few minutes, my music was blasting through my eardrums when Monty jumped up and sat on the table next to me. I tried my best to ignore him, but then he took my phone and shut it off.  
“What the fuck?” I said. He rolled his eyes and took my headset off as well.  
Then, he leaned in towards me and kissed me softly. Almost like he was apologizing. I couldn’t help it, this man was my weakness, I opened my mouth willingly and he deepened the kiss. We moved closer to each other and he grabbed my hair.  
He broke apart from me, “I’m sorry, okay? I’m really fucking sorry.” He whispered. I smiled slightly and then reconnected our lips.  
We pulled away, and just as I was about to yell at him about how stupid he acted yesterday, the sound of gunshots broke my trane of thought.  
BANG BANG BANG.  
My breath hitched. I felt fear trickle into my brain, and I started going into survival mode.  
“Calm down, man. You panicking is only gonna make this worse. We just have to keep our cool.” I was almost jealous at how calm Monty seemed to be, though I guess getting beat to near death in prison was one of those things that made you stronger.  
I tried to calm myself down, but it didn’t seem to be working. Monty grabbed me and pulled me close to him, my head resting against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat, the smell of his cologne, it calmed me almost immediately. Montgomery de la Cruz was my drug, my addiction, the thing I should stay away from, but he was also the thing I wanted most.  
He sat there, hand on my waist while I listened to his heart beating.  
Beat  
Beat  
Beat  
It almost drowned out the sound of the gunshots, it almost made me feel safe.  
POUND POUND POUND  
Someone banged on the door, and I immediately froze and tensed up. Monty’s heartbeat stayed at the exact same rhythm, he wasn’t afraid at all. I, however, was close to having a panic attack. Monty seemed to sense this, and then he pulled me so I was straddling his lap. His height gave me a slight advantage, as I was able to easily rest my head on his chest again. This position, my legs draped over either side of his, my arms around his back, my head on his chest. His chin on my head, his hand in my hair while the other rubbed soothing circles in my back. I honestly could’ve died like this and would be perfectly content. My eyes welled up with tears. Not because of our situation, but because I think Monty finally let me in.  
I tightened my grip on him, his muscles flexing under my touch as he rested his cheek on the top of my head.  
“I’m sorry, Winston.” He whispered. I buried my head further into his chest.  
“I know.” I said. I felt his face form into a smile. This man that seemed so villainous to others was so gentle and kind around me.  
We stayed like that for a few moments until the PA system beeped.  
“That concludes the end of the gun safety drill. Please go to your 6th period classes.” The secretary said.  
I pulled back from Monty, confusion on my face, while his turned into pure anger.  
“Motherfuckers.” He stood up and immediately began to unbarricade the door.  
“Monty, what are you doing?” I asked him. He kicked the file cabinet away from the door before throwing it open. I followed after him and saw a bunch of other kids coming out of the classrooms, huddling into a crowd.  
The kids immediately started to shout all at once, and the principal was trying to calm everyone down.  
“Yes, thank you for your cooperation students, this was a drill, please continue on as normal.” He said. Monty pushed his way through the crowd, and I stood back and watched him carefully.  
Kids were shouting at the principal, but Monty stole the show when he walked straight up to Bolan and shook his head in disbelief. The officers that were present immediately walked up to him, ready to make a move.  
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He said. The principal cleared his throat and tried to avoid Monty’s intimidating gaze, “what kind of fucking drill requires gunshots? Scaring kids half to death? Making people I fucking love have panic attacks? You really are running a shitshow here, Bolan. Get your fucking school together, learn how to rule it, or get the fuck out.” He said. All the kids paused for a moment before cheering.  
I was too busy processing his sentence.  
Did Monty just say he loved me? I couldn’t have heard that right. Monty didn’t even love himself. I didn’t even know if he was capable of love, as sad as it was to say.  
Monty walked back into the crowd, shrugging off the officers that were trying to detain him, before walking over to me. The rage in his face disappeared suddenly, and I wondered if I was also Monty’s addiction- his escape.  
All eyes went back to Bolan, and Monty cupped my face so we were looking at each other. In each other’s eyes. His eyes were beautiful. I felt like I could get lost in them.  
“Listen, I don’t know when I’ll learn to accept myself. To get past the damage inside me, but I’m gonna try. I’ve been meeting with Dr. Singh, apparently I have PTSD or some shit, but she told me I can try and be better than it. I think I’m going to try to get better… for you.” He said. I felt the heat creep up into my cheeks. Monty didn’t want to get better for himself, because he felt he wasn’t worth it, not yet at least. I could sit here and argue with him and tell him to get better for himself, but I think if he tries to get better for someone else, it might take a stronger effect.  
He leaned into me slowly, our lips almost touching when-  
“CLAY JENSEN, PUT DOWN THE GUN!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, that was cute, right? Well prepare for more cuteness.


	6. His Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the drill, the gang heads to a skatepark where Winston is confronted by people from his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imma be honest, I originally intended for this story to go down a very very very dark path, but then I realized our boys have been through enough, so I rewrote it.

MONTY’S POV  
-  
Jensen was taken out on a stretcher, sedated after becoming manic. It wasn’t something that particularly bothered me, I had seen worse in my life, but I could tell Winston was pretty shaken up about it. That damned Hillcrest rich boy would be the death of me, but I think I was okay with that. Winston grabbed my jacket tighter when the stretcher was rolled past us, and I didn’t mind. I liked knowing he trusted me, he felt safe with me, because I felt my safest with him, too.  
“Hey, I need to find Estela and Diego. Do you wanna come with me?” I whispered. He nodded slightly and I walked towards the locker room.  
“Oi, has anyone seen Diego or my sister?” I asked a group of players. They pointed to the locker room, and I walked in to find Diego sitting with the coach and Foley.  
“Mi hermano, estas bien? (My brother, are you okay?)” Diego asked me before pulling me into a hug.  
“Si has visto a Estela? (Yeah, have you seen Estela?)” I asked.  
“No, supongo que está con su clase. (No, I assume she’s with her class.)” He said.  
I nodded and turned to the coach, “Coach, I need to steal Diego for a bit.” I said, dragging him out of the locker room and walking to the Sophomore’s hallway.  
“Estela!” I shouted. I heard the unmistakable sound of her heels clicking on the floor.  
“Monty! I was so scared!” She said and wrapped her arms around me. You could see on her face she had been crying, and it took everything inside of me not to beat up whoever thought this was a good idea. “I heard it was a fucking drill, I’m about ready to go slap that principal guy.” She said, trying her best to be scary, but it was more funny than anything.  
Diego grabbed my sister and started a conversation while I turned to Winston, who had been quiet the entire time.  
“Hey, you’re okay, right?” I asked. He looked up at me, and man, his face was perfect. I admired things I never had before. His bone structure, his cheekbones, it was like this man was carved from the Gods.  
“I guess I’m just a little concerned about us. I mean, I’m scared that tomorrow you’re gonna go back to hating me.” He said, and I felt like the shittiest person on Earth.  
“Winston. I never hated you, I never could. I hated myself, and honestly I still do, but I want to change.” I said.  
His eyes still looked doubtful, and I couldn’t blame him, so I did the only thing I thought could fix anything.  
I kissed him, right in the middle of the hallway. I cupped his perfect face in my hands and slid my tongue into his mouth. He moaned into my mouth, and moved his hands to my waist. I walked forward to press him against the lockers before deepening our kiss. I had never wanted to make anyone so happy, aside from myself, and that was scary. It was scary because I would not hesitate to die for Winston Williams, and I was slowly falling in love with him.  
When our lips separated, his eyes were not filled with doubt, but adoration.  
It was only when the clapping started that I turned to see my sister and Diego cheering and clapping. I should’ve been afraid, I should’ve been beating the shit out of everyone who just saw what happened, but I was so sick of feeling afraid that now I felt proud. Proud to be myself, to not be ashamed.  
Soon the football players were joining them, and everyone in the hallway was clapping and cheering. I guess the fucking ghost of Bryce was right, nobody cared about who I liked. The only person who was holding me back was myself.  
“Took you long enough, bro.” Estela said, punching me in my arm. Diego walked up to me and wrapped me in his arms.  
“Solo quiero que seas feliz, hermano. (I just want you to be happy, brother.” He said. I smiled and hugged him. We stopped hugging and he looked at me with sincerity, “si él te hace feliz, todos te apoyaremos. (If he makes you happy, we’ll all support you.)”  
The only people who weren’t cheering were Ani and her pack of wolves. Well guess what, if you’re gonna be the wolves, I’ll be the bear, and according to the food chain, I’ll win.  
Game on, Jensen.  
-  
WINSTON'S POV  
The rest of that day was eventful to say the least. After the incident with Clay, most people left school for the day, so I wound up at some skatepark with Monty, Diego and Estela.  
Estela was currently begging Monty to let her skate with Diego, but he wasn't having it. I honestly never ould've seen would’ve pictured Monty to partake in such brother sister dynamics, but it was nice, kind of refreshing to see him act so normal. He deserved it.  
Diego was currently doing a bunch of tricks on his board, getting the attention of a few girls.  
“Monty! C’mon, I’ll make sure she’s safe.” Diego yelled. He sighed in defeat.  
“Go, before I change my mind.” He said. Estela jumped up and down before taking Diego’s hand and jumping into the middle of the pit.  
When I looked up at Monty, he looked like he was thinking hard about something, “why do you look like your brain is gonna explode?”  
He scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair.  
“I’m just makin’ a list of suspects.” He said. I knew he was talking about Bryce’s killer.  
“How do you know it wasn’t any of us?” I asked.  
“Because Estela was in Puerto Rico, Diego and the guys were too blasted after homecoming, and I spent that weekend with you, and I didn’t let you out of my sights long enough for you to kill my best friend.” He said.  
My cheeks heated at the reminder of that weekend, and Monty smirked at my reaction.  
“Senior camping trip is coming up soon.” He reminded me. I nodded.  
“Yeah, I’ve never been camping before.” I said.  
He scoffed, “obviously. You’re a rich kid, you probably had your own treehouse made out of pure diamond.”  
I laughed, “I’m not that rich, Monty. My parents are lawyers, not famous rappers.” He laughed.  
"Lookie what we got here!" I sighed. I recognized that voice. Fucking Brady Davidson from Hillcrest. He was the openly gay quarterback and my old fuck buddy. Two days after I met Monty, I told him I wasn't interested in him anymore. I couldn't help it, sex with him was nothing compared to how it was with Monty, and he got all pissed off at me. He's the reason I got expelled. Fucking exposing me for that SAT shit.  
With Brady were his three goons, Simon Powell, DeAndre Pixar and Howard Clyde.  
Monty arched an eyebrow at me and I sighed before turning to them.  
"Davidson." I said. Simon whispered something to Howard and they both snorted and laughed.  
"This your new boy-toy, Winsty?" He asked. I rolled my eyes and stood up so I was eye level with him.  
"Maybe. What's it to you? You jealous?" I asked. His eyes narrowed in anger.  
"Be careful with this one, man, he's a snakey little shit." He poked me in the shoulder, making me stumble back a bit. Monty stood up and before I could stop him, he was in front of me.  
"Man, you sure do sound jealous. You're mad? Mad that instead of you, I'm the one pounding his tight little ass now? I'm the one who's dick is getting sucked? I don't blame you, he definitely is something special, but just accept it, man. He didn't want you. Maybe one of your boys can help you out next time you get horny thinking about the guy who's horny thinking about me." He said.  
Brady's face turned red and the next thing I knew, his fist connected with Monty’s jaw. I backed away, and expected Monty to beat all of their asses because I knew he could, but he didn’t. He just laid there while Brady and his friends continued to kick him in the stomach, ribs, face, and he actually looked like he was at peace with the situation. I froze in shock, my hands covering my mouth, and when I finally calmed down, I turned towards the park.  
“Diego!” I screamed. Seconds later, Diego and Estela came rushing out of the dip, and Diego immediately pushed all of them off of him, while Estela took on a similar reaction to mine.  
I ran over to her and hugged her, and she hugged me back while Diego was beating the shit out of three guys with no problem. Monty was still laying on the cement with a neutral expression on his bloodied face, and I wanted to go over there and give him a few extra kicks for good measure, but I was cut off by Estela walking over to him and slapping him across the face. My eyes widened, and she started shouting at Monty in Spanish.  
“Estúpido tonto! ¿que demonios fue eso? ¿Por qué te quedaste allí mientras esos imbéciles te golpeaban? ¿Por qué no te defendiste? ambos sabemos que podrías haberlos tomado sin problema, ¡el Monty que conozco literalmente nunca recibiría una paliza acostado! eres un idiota! (you stupid fool! what the hell was that? why did you just lay there while those jerks beat you up? why didn't you fight back? we both know you could've taken them no problem, the Monty I know would literally never take a beating lying down! you're such a moron!)”  
Monty chuckled lightly, “el Monty que conoces? Bueno, tal vez podrías presentarme a él, porque ni siquiera sé quién soy. (The Monty you know? Well, maybe you could introduce me to him, because I don't even know who I am.)” He said before standing up and limping away. I was still frozen, I didn’t know what to do in this situation. Estela ran behind me and grabbed her bag.  
“I should go after him.” She said.  
“Would it be okay if I went instead?” I asked. She looked at me for a few seconds and then nodded. I ran after him, and saw him sitting on top of the municipal building of the park. I climbed the firescape and sat down next to him. Blood covered him, but also tears. I had never seen Monty cry, and something tells me he wouldn’t like to be pitied.  
We sat there in silence for a few minutes, until I decided ‘fuck it’ and laced my fingers with Monty’s. He looked panicked at first, but he eventually relaxed. He gripped my hand, and I heard him sniffling, but facing the other way.  
I used my other hand to move his head so his was facing mine. Tears were running down his cheeks, mixing with the blood, and I leaned in and captured his lips with mine.  
I cupped his cheek and wiped away his tears. This man was so sad, so broken, when the only thing he deserved was happiness.  
He deserved happiness, but he didn’t know how to get it, he didn’t know how to feel it, and I wanted to be the one who made him happy.  
He put his hands on my hips while I cupped his face, deepening our kiss, and then we leaned back and laid down next to each other. I broke the kiss, and then got closer to him, wrapping my arms around him. We laid there for a long time, looking up at the clouds, I laid on his torso, and he ran his fingers through my hair. The blood on his face had dried, and I realized we hadn’t said a word this entire time, yet I felt like we had communicated without any.  
-  
MONTY’S POV  
-  
As I lay there with Winston’s head on me and his arms draped across my body, I realized something. This man was my weakness, but also my strength. I would do absolutely anything for him, yet even knowing he was with me was enough to make me feel okay again. I hadn’t felt okay in a long, long time. Winston helped me realize that it was okay to be who I was, he helped me realize that even if I feel like life isn’t worth living, there will always be better days, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and I believe that Winston is my light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM AWARE THESE EVENTS ARE OUT OF ORDER AND THAT THE CAMPING TRIP HAPPENS BEFORE THE LOCKDOWN, BUT I LITERALLY FORGOT AND IM SORRY


	7. His Gratitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first wonty fuck of the story! Woo hoo, but also Monty tries to be typical Monty but Winston isn't having it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to make up for the lack of updates-  
> I GAVE YALL SOME WONTY SMUT AND CUDDLES.

MONTY’S POV  
-  
That night on the rooftop, I told Winston everything. How I felt numb inside, how I sometimes wish those guys would have just finished the job, how I felt like my life wasn’t worth living. Football wasn’t part of the plan anymore. No team would choose a convicted rapist to play for their team, and sports was the only thing I had going for me. My life was basically over.  
The entire time, Winston didn’t look at me with pity in his eyes, and when I finished talking he pulled me into his arms. I tensed at first, but then relaxed into him, my head against his chest, facing the same way as him while we looked at the night sky. After a few minutes, he pressed a kiss to my head.  
“Things might not be easy, but whatever happens, we’ll get through it. Together.” He whispered. By the time we looked at our phones, it was 9:00. We’d been at the park for seven hours, but time always seemed to pass by when I was with him.  
“My parents aren’t home. Do you wanna just stay with me tonight?” He offered. I nodded simply because I needed Winston. I needed his support, his snarky comebacks, his care.  
We drove silently in his car, and when we got to his house, we went up to his bedroom.  
“I’m gonna get a shower. Feel free to join me if you want.” He winked and then walked into the bathroom. I knew he was joking, but damn, I’d be an idiot to pass on that invitation.  
Once I heard the water turn on, I took off my clothes and walked into the bathroom. I opened the curtain and was graced with the sight of a wet Winston, water droplets dripping down every muscle of his body. His hair a wavy mess, but absolutely perfect.  
When he opened his eyes, he jumped at the sight of me, and I smirked.  
“W-what-” he stuttered.  
“Hm? You said I could join you, did you not?” I asked.  
He blushed and looked down at the floor.  
I tilted his chin up and eagerly caught his lips with mine. He moaned as my tongue intruded his mouth, and his arms wrapped around my shoulders. I tapped his legs, and he wrapped them around my waist. I walked forward until he groaned at the feeling of the cold wall against his warm back. The water made for nice lubricant, and the head of my dick was tapping against his hole. He moaned, moving his lips from mine to throw his head back in ecstasy.  
“You’re so damn perfect.” I muttered, attaching my lips to the place on his neck that I knew made him crazy. He sighed in pleasure, and I felt his cock harden between us.  
“M-Monty.” He whined, and God, if that sound wasn’t music to my ears. His hole opened slightly, and I pushed the tip inside. We both moaned and Winston tightened his grip on me, pulling me closer so he could rut himself against my abs. I lowered him down on my cock and then used our position to my advantage. He was wrapped around me like a panda on a bamboo tree, and I gripped his ass to slowly lift him up and down on me.  
He gasped as I filled him completely, and his head rested on my shoulder.  
“P-please.” He said. I smirked and began to move him slowly, my hips meeting his to give a harsh thrust when I bottomed out, only to repeat it. The slow and deep sensation made me groan, and Winston was whining in my ear.  
“You’re so deep.” He said, and I moaned, speeding our pace up a bit. The tip of my head brushed against his prostate, and his dick immediately exploded, coating both of us. The feeling of his ass clenching on my cock as he came was amazing, but I pulled out and gently lowered him to the floor..  
He whined, “why’d you stop?”  
I kissed his forehead, “I know you’re sensitive, I don’t wanna make you overstimulated, I want you to feel good too.” I said. He shook his head and turned around so his hands were pressed against the shower wall, and his ass was pushed out, the sight of his hole slightly gaping open was mesmerizing.  
“Keep going. Please.” He said, and who was I to deny him? I pushed back in and thrusted quickly, Winston moving his hips back in time with my thrusts.  
I checked his face for any sign of discomfort, but he looked completely fucked out. His eyes were dilated, and he was biting his lip in pleasure. His cheeks were flushed and the sound of slapping skin was soon the only thing I could hear. The water wasn’t even hot anymore, but that didn’t matter. Our rough fucking was hot enough, and I heard Winston gasp when I hit a certain spot. I angled myself so I could fuck right into that spot, and he went crazy.  
“Right there! There, there there! Fuck, please! ‘S good.” He moaned. I groaned and continued to thrust into him. I felt my release coming, and apparently he did as well.  
“Cum in me, cum in me, please, cum in me.” He begged. His whining did it for me, and I was soon emptying myself inside of him. He came as well, but barely anything came out this time.  
We sat on the shower floor for a few minutes until we calmed down, and then I pulled my dick out, watching my cum drip out of him and go down the drain along with the water.  
Winston was curled up in my arms, his wet hair tickling my chest as he nestled into it.  
“You okay?” I whispered.  
“Mm-hmm.” He hummed, and I laughed lightly, kissing his head.  
“C’mon, stand up so I can clean you up. I don’t wanna sleep next to you while you’re covered in cum.” He laughed and stood up, eyes closed and leaning onto me for support.  
“Monty?” He said.  
“Hm?”  
“I love you.” He said, and then his breath evened out into a light snore.  
“You’re still coming down, baby. You don’t mean that.” I said, but I wasn’t sure who I was talking to, myself or Winston. He moved his head so he was nestled against my neck and he was soon asleep, leaving me to wash his unconscious body. I carried him to bed and put some boxers on him before putting him underneath the covers. I admired him for a moment before throwing on some clothes and joining him. As soon as I got settled, his eyes fluttered open slightly.  
“Mmm, cuddle?” He asked, voice groggy.  
I scoffed and turned away, even though I was pretty sure he couldn’t see my blush in the dark.  
“You’re just a giant baby after you get your brains fucked out, huh.” I said. He nodded and rolled over so his back was facing me, and I was confused. I didn’t really know what to do. If he turned away, did that mean he didn’t wanna be held? But he was just saying-  
My thoughts were stopped by Winston grabbing my arm and wrapping it around his body. I moved my body so it was flush against his, and I held him while he drifted off into sleep, and I soon joined him.  
And that night, for the first time since I got out of jail, I slept peacefully, without any nightmares.  
-  
WINSTON’S POV  
-  
I woke up the next morning feeling sore, warm and happy. Monty was holding me while he slept, and I didn’t want to disturb him, but I knew I would need to wake him up soon. It was 6am and we had to be at school by 7 for the camping trip. It was a 45 minute drive from Hillcrest.  
“Monty.” I whispered. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. “We have to leave in fifteen minutes for that camping trip, so get your ass up.” I said.  
He sighed and sat up, wiping his eyes. I brushed my hair and teeth.  
"Do you have anything that doesn't cost a thousand dollars?" Monty asked me. I rolled my eyes and spit out my toothpaste.  
"I have some basic shit on the right side of my closet." I said. Monty came into the bathroom wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans, and then started brushing his teeth. I got dressed how I normally do, an expensive shirt and even more expensive jeans and even more expensive shoes. Monty rolled his eyes when he saw me.  
“I dunno why you wear so much rich shit. You’d look good no matter what you wear.” He said. I blushed and then walked outside of my room.  
“Let’s go.”  
-  
It felt like we were doing the walk of shame when we got to school. Monty’s hair was a mess, and we were both coming out of my car while Monty’s was in the lot overnight. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of hickeys that littered our necks.  
“Fun night, huh?” Diego elbowed me and winked. I moved my sweater up so it covered my neck.  
“Dunno why you’re tryna hide it. You’d need a turtleneck.” Monty said as we lined up for attendance.  
On the bus, Monty sat next to some football player so I sat down next to a kid with a camera.  
“Hey, do you mind if I sit here?” I asked him. He nodded and I swung my bag onto the floor. “I’m Winston.”  
The boy froze up a bit, “I’m Tyler.”  
Oh. This was Tyler. The one who Monty…  
“Oh. I’m sorry, I can sit somewhere else if you feel uncomfortable.” I said.  
“No, really, it’s fine.” He said. I nodded and put on my headset, trying desperately to escape the awkward situation I had put myself in.  
I saw Monty out of the corner of my eye. He had on his usual 'nervous but too prideful to show it' look seeing me with Tyler.  
Tyler's voice surprised me as he spoke up right before I was about to play my tunes.  
"So how long have you and Monty been involved?" He asked. I took my headset off.  
"Um, not for long. We saw each other a few times before he got arrested, but yeah."  
Tyler's face was unreadable. "I saw you stand up at the assembly before summer. Can I ask why you're with Monty when you know what it's like to be- y'know." He asked.  
I turned my phone off and faced the boy.  
"Monty is a very complicated person. I know what he did to you was awful. There's no excuse for that, and part of me will always hate him for that, but as a victim of sexual assault myself, I can tell Monty is hating himself as well for what he did to you, for not controlling his anger how he was supposed to. But he's learning slowly, and I'm gonna do everything I can to help him." I said. Tyler nodded.  
"I don't hate him. At least I don't think I do, I just want him to get better so nobody else has to go through what I had to." He said quietly.  
I smiled at him with understanding, My own assault isn't something I speak about very often, but I felt like I could open up to Tyler. "My mom's brother was my rapist. When I was 13, I came out as gay, he figured I was vulnerable, which I was. One night he was watching me while my parents were out of town, and he raped me. I told my mother as soon as she got home, and she managed to get me the proper help. I still see a trauma counselor, and my mom made sure that my uncle was locked away for a long time.” I said.  
His eyes watered but he wiped them, “I’m so sorry.” He said.  
I smiled, “you have nothing to be sorry for. We’re in the same boat. If you ever need anyone to talk to about how you’re feeling, I’m here for you. Even though it might seem a little weird since I’m- not really dating your assaulter. My point is that Monty’s a troubled guy, violence is the only thing he knows. There’s healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with anger. Monty had no choice, he wasn’t given an opportunity to deal with his problems the right way. Not like I did.”  
Tyler and I spent the rest of the trip getting to know each other, and he was a very unique person. He and I bonded over our experiences, and the Monty he described seemed completely different from the Monty I knew. Perhaps something had changed him in the gap after Tyler’s assault.  
Perhaps I changed him.  
I exchanged numbers with Tyler when we arrived, but then our phones were immediately confiscated for the trip. I got off the bus and saw Monty, but he quickly walked away with his football friends.  
Damn bastard. He was always so hot and cold. Just this morning I woke up wrapped in his arms, and now he won’t even talk to me. I tried to hide the marks on my neck once more, and made my way to the camping guide.  
“Hey, my name’s Winston Williams. I need to know my tent name.” I said. The woman flipped through some papers.  
“Ah, yes. Mr. Williams, you are in tent 35 with Montgomery de la Cruz.” She said before immediately dismissing me and talking to the person behind me. Great. Now on top of having no phone and being stranded in the middle of nowhere, I had to share a tent with Katy Perry herself, Mr. Hot & Cold.  
I found my tent and tossed my bag in it, unpacking a very expensive sleeping bag I had ordered last night and paid 30 dollars for overnight delivery. The sleeping bag was thick. Five inches of mattress and comforters, pillows and sheets. In this moment, I needed to get my head clear.  
What better way to do that then to sleep?  
I yawned and took off my shirt and pants before climbing into my sleeping bag- more like sleeping bed- and covering myself with a sheet. I reached into my bag and pulled out a joint, lighting it and inhaling deeply, allowing the smoke to fill my lungs before exhaling, more like a sigh.  
Just as I went for another hit, the tent unzipped and Monty strolled in. He briefly looked at me, then my bed which I was sure he would say something about, and then he looked at my bare torso before throwing his bag down. I propped myself up on my arm and took another hit.  
“Hey.” I said. After a few seconds, no reply came. I tapped the end of my joint, watching some ash fall to the ground and scoffed. He tensed, but then turned around and exited the tent.  
Now I knew it wasn’t just a coincidence earlier, and I was officially ticked off.  
I spent the next few minutes finishing the joint before thinking myself to sleep. The first day basically consisted of setting up, and the challenges would start tomorrow. Like the seniors, the freshmen also had a trip, but theirs was on the opposite side of the campsite.  
When I woke up, the sun was still up, and it couldn’t have been later than noon. We’d arrived here at 10. My head still felt kind of cloudy from the marijuana, and I could definitely tell I was coming down from it. I felt extremely emotional, and before I knew it I was crying lightly. Monty still wasn’t back, and I had done something to upset him. I didn’t mean anything to him. I was only good for sex. Why would someone like Monty like me? What do I have aside from my money and my looks?  
My pity party was interrupted by the tent unzipping.  
“Monty?-” I heard Estela before I saw her. My eyes buried in my hands. When I looked up, Estela immediately looked concerned. I knew what my eyes probably looked like, bloodshot with bags underneath of them from crying. She immediately zipped the door shut and came to sit next to me.  
“Winston? What’s wrong, are you okay? What is that smell.” The last sentence made me laugh lightly, she was obviously smelling the pot.  
Unfortunately, said drug took my brain’s filter away, so I told Estela everything. How we spent the night together, came to school together, then when we got to camp, he’d been cold and distant to me. Her face contorted with anger, and then Monty came inside the tent. He immediately looked worried. I didn’t know if it was because I was obviously upset, or because his sister was with me.  
Estela stood up and balled her fists at her sides before walking up to Monty and poking him hard in the chest.  
“You are an asshole.” She said, flicking his forehead before walking out of the tent. Monty looked at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look back. I felt like a giant baby.  
“Winston?” He said softly, “are you okay?”  
I laughed, “now you care? What about earlier? When you straight up ignored me after making me feel like I mattered last night. I’m not just some fuck and dump, I’m a fucking person with feelings and emotions and I refuse to be toyed with.” I said. I went to storm out of the tent, but Monty grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him. I expected him to initiate frustration sex, but instead he did yet another thing that surprised me.  
“I’m sorry.” He said, pulling me into a warm embrace. I was tense for a few moments, not expecting this act of softness from Monty, but I soon sighed and melted into his touch. “I’m sorry, I’m such a fuck up, I’m still new at this whole ‘giving a shit’ thing. I just- saw you talking to Tyler on the bus, and I figured you’d finally figured out how much of a monster I was, and I guess I just wanted to save myself the humiliation by ignoring you.” He explained.  
Monty sat down on my sleeping bed and didn’t let go of me. “But do you care to tell me why our tent reeks of weed?” He said, and I laughed.  
I pulled away from him and instead pulled him down so we were both laying on the thin mattress, our noses nearly touching.  
“Just fucking stop, okay? When there’s an issue, try talking to me about it instead of taking the easy way out. You’re trying to change, right? To be better? Then be better at handling situations like an adult.” I said. A flash of sadness flickered in his eyes, and I knew he was upset with himself. He never liked disappointing anyone.  
“I’ll try. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a few chapters left probably!

**Author's Note:**

> I need more Wonty angst.  
> I need Monty to come back to Liberty and RULE THE FREAKING SCHOOL  
> (also i in no way condone anything Monty has done, but season 3 was an entire season dedicated to the different side of bryce who did the same things as Monty. So here's my season dedicated to the different side of Monty.)


End file.
